Features
Double Fatal Apartment Fire in Passaic
March 03, 2024 | NEW JERSEY
DAMIEN DANIS, Senior Correspondent
Photo by Damien Danis
Photo by Damien Danis
This article is a direct street report from our correspondent and has not been edited by the 1st Responder newsroom.
PASSAIC, NJ - Two people were killed in a garden apartment fire in Passaic on March 3rd. The fire broke out on the first-floor in back of the two-story building at 16 Spruce St., and extended to the second-floor and a cockloft, trapping the victims, shortly before 9:30 A.M.
As Battalion Chief James Kovacs signed on the air, he reported a heavy column of smoke from the firehouse. As he arrived, he struck a second-alarm. Due to fire conditions venting out the ground floor windows, a vehicle just outside the building also caught fire. The fire extended to a second-floor apartment and to the cockloft. A quick attack had the fire knocked down in a short time.
Two adult victims' bodies were found soon after, Passaic Mayor Hector Carlos Lora said. They were pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters had the blaze under control within two hours and it was declared under control at 11:20 A.M.
Mutual aid included firefighters from Carlstadt, Clifton, East Rutherford, Paterson, West Paterson and Wallington, as well as Hackensack MSU to refill bottles. The County Wide Emergency Response Team also responded. Passaic and Passaic County prosecutor's investigators were trying to determine the cause.
DAMIEN DANISSenior Correspondent
No information from the author.